Mammoth Blog

Along with that golden ticket and wristband the lucky 17,500 people received to attend today's memorial service was the golden program book. Inside, it is simple, basic and touching: large photos cover pages with messages from La Toya, Tito, Rebbie, Evvy and other family and friends.

"You taught me how to smile. You taught me how to dream. You taught me how to live. Uncle Michael, I will always cherish all of our special moments and blissful time together. I love you much," wrote Jackson's nephew TJ.

On auction-crazy eBay, it didn't take long before the book was being hawked for prices as high as $1000, but with zero bids so far. The second most expensive book has 18 bids and was going for $415 as of 2 p.m. source>>>

Would you pay more money for items on eBay if they had interesting stories behind them? A group of writers has determined to find out, by selling objects on eBay that come with fictional alternate histories.

Among the participating authors are Matthew Battles, whose article on space travel we linked to the other day, as well as Susanna Breslin, Michelle Tea, Luc Sante, many more. They call their project Significant Objects. Each author buys a cheap trinket at a thrift store, invents a backstory for it, and then posts it on eBay. The opening bid price is exactly what they paid for it - usually just a few dollars. Most of the objects seem to be strange nick nacks, like a cow statue covered in red peppers or a plastic hot dog.

The project, conceived by io9 pal Joshua Glenn and Rob Walker, is only a few days old, so it's hard to say for sure whether these objects will acquire substantial value based on their invented alternate histories. Still, it's obvious that some stories appeal more than others. Lucinda Rosenfeld's backstory about a cow-shaped creamer has already gotten 10 bids that have increased the value of the object from $1 to nearly $10. Maybe it's because her story is all about how Norman Rockwell was secretly depressed and left this cow creamer behind at a sanitorium where he spent time? I'm excited about an alternate America where Rockwell was depressed all the time.

So far none of the stories have been explicitly science fictional, but taken together they represent an interesting kink in the alternative history genre. One thing is certain: If Rosenfeld's success is any indication, these authors may actually get paid more for short fiction on eBay than they would at most publications. source>>>

The hedge fund manager that won Warren Buffett's annual charity auction said the $1.68 million price for a steak lunch with the billionaire is "an investment in our future" amid the global recession.

Salida Capital, with about $300 million in assets under management, was today identified as the winning bidder by the Glide Foundation, the charity that is the beneficiary of the funds raised in the auction. The bidding for the 10th-annual event ended on EBay Inc.'s Web site on June 26.

Salida and its chief executive officer, Courtenay Wolfe, won the right to query Buffett about his investment philosophy and outlook for the economy. The bid by the Toronto-based firm was 20 percent less than last year's record $2.11 million, the largest amount ever for an EBay-sponsored charity auction.

"We're happy to get it for the price we got it for," Wolfe said in an interview today. "Warren's success as an investor has transcended decades and all types of market conditions. Particularly going through such sensitive times, his wisdom and experience is of great value to us and we believe it's an investment in our future."

Buffett, the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., transformed the firm from a failing textile maker into a $132 billion company by acquiring out-of-favor securities and businesses in industries ranging from insurance and utilities to candy-making and underwear. Shares of the Omaha, Nebraska-based company traded at about $15 when he took control in 1965. They sold today for more than $86,000 on the New York Stock Exchange.

'Big Supporters'

Wolfe will be joined at the lunch by Chief Investment Officer Danny Guy, portfolio manager Brad White and "a handful of people who have been big supporters," she said. Buffett, the world's second-wealthiest man, typically sits down for a three- hour meal a year after the auction concludes.

Salida, founded in 2001, currently manages three funds. Its Salida multi strategy hedge fund returned 83 percent in the first half of this year after falling by about two-thirds in 2008, according to Bloomberg data. All three funds are "very bullish" on commodities, Wolfe said.

"We see the next area of opportunity in the further consolidation of the resource sector, driven by continued growth in the emerging markets," she said. "The hard asset and commodity theme should be of particular interest to investors in the months and years to come."

Three other funds managed by Salida are being liquidated after being "affected by market dislocation as a result of exposure" to bankrupt Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., according to the firm's Web site.

'Major Mistake'

Buffett has had mixed results with investments tied to commodities. In 2007, Berkshire reported record earnings as Buffett booked a $3.5 billion profit cashing out of a $500 million investment in oil producer PetroChina Co. This year, he confessed to a "major mistake" of buying ConocoPhillips shares as oil and gas prices were near their peak.

"I still believe the odds are good that oil sells far higher in the future than the current $40-$50 price," Buffett wrote in his yearly letter to shareholders in February.

Last year's winner, Chinese hedge-fund manager Zhao Danyang, said he quizzed Buffett about commodities when he had his lunch at the Smith & Wollensky restaurant on Third Avenue in Manhattan last month. Wolfe said her firm hadn't bid in a Buffett auction before this year.

The Glide Foundation, a San Francisco-based charity where Buffett's late wife volunteered, receives all proceeds from the annual auction. The auction has raised more than $5.92 million for Glide over the past decade, helping the foundation offer food, clothes, shelter and health care to the needy.

Glide Lunch With Warren Buffett Results:
Year Winner Winning Bid
2000 Anonymous $25,000
2001 Anonymous $18,000
2002 Edward Jones Co. and 2 Anonymous $25,000
2003 David Einhorn, Greenlight Capital $250,100
2004 Jason Choo, Singapore $202,100
2005 Anonymous $351,100
2006 Yongping Duan, California $620,100
2007 Mohnish Pabrai, Guy Spier, Harina Kapoor $650,100
2008 Zhao Danyang, China $2,110,100
2009 Salida Capital, Canada $1,680,300
source>>>

New Jersey's horse racing and casino gambling industries still have a long way to go in developing a collaborative strategy to meet the competitive challenges emerging in neighboring states.

Representatives of the longtime rival industries couldn't even agree on what to discuss Wednesday at a meeting of a new commission charged with saving the state's four horse racing tracks.

Track officials wanted to talk about "racinos," the electronic betting parlors that have been introduced at 36 race tracks in 15 states since 1995. However, Joseph Fusco, a spokesman for the Casino Association of New Jersey, spoke for 20 minutes at the meeting without even mentioning the word.

Racinos are now operating in neighboring states, but they're still barred in New Jersey out of deference to the powerful Atlantic City casinos, which have seen their revenue shrink amid the national recession. Racing interests are afraid they're losing valuable time by not joining the trend.

Fusco, an executive vice president at Trump Entertainment Resorts, drew a testy response from racing industry representatives at the end of his prepared testimony by suggesting they focus on improvements "horse racing can generate from its own business."

Thomas F. Luchento, president of the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey, said the casinos should fix their own problems instead of meddling in racing.

"Our decline is directly related with casinos and lotteries," Luchento said, noting that racing's share of state gambling tax revenue has decreased from 81 percent to 1 percent since casinos were first allowed in 1978.

Casinos have subsidized New Jersey's tracks since 2004 to help them provide the same kind of purses now being offered by racino-equipped tracks in neighboring states. The higher purses are needed to attract the best horses and jockeys. The total amount of the subsidy through 2011 is estimated at $176 million.

However, Chris Scherf, executive vice president of The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, said subsidies don't address the need to upgrade New Jersey's stagnant tracks to compete with the new facilities. Electronic gaming would help pay for those improvements, he said.

The number of racinos in the United States has grown from four to 36 since the trend began in 1995 and is expected to top 45 by 2015.

"It's not horse racing versus casinos," state Sen. Jennifer Beck, of Red Bank, reminded members at Wednesday's meeting of the Governor's Commission on the Horse Racing Industry. "It's New Jersey versus Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and New York."

Ernie D'Ambrosio, a gambling consultant with The Innovation Group, said it's a tough time for racing to push changes on the state's casino industry, which employs 43,000 workers and generates about $1 billion in annual state taxes. Revenue at the 11 casinos in Atlantic City fell 16 percent to $1.62 billion during the first five months of this year from the same period of 2008.

The racing industry has about 2,050 employees and generates about $31 million in annual state and local taxes, according to a 2007 study by Rutgers University.

"It's an election year and Atlantic City is fragile right now," D'Ambrosio said. "So, New Jersey is playing a waiting game." source>>>

Representative Barney Frank spent the weekend at the World Series of Poker where he answered questions regarding his online gambling legislation. On Tuesday, Frank picked up more Congressional support for H.R. 2267.

Two more co-sponsors were added to a list that was already forty Representatives long. Rep. Paul Hodes from New Hampshire and Rep. Edolphus Towns from New York signed on to the Bill that has some powerful legislators in its corner.

Frank is taking his second go around at overturning the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. The first attempt last year failed miserably because of the Republican presence in Congress. Now Frank has his fellow Democrats in control, and he feels this is the time the laws will be changed.

"It's odd that we say 'no gambling'," said Frank at the WSOP Sunday, "because the country is in a terrible economic hole because of gambling. The difference is that the law that was passed by the Republicans stop individuals from gambling in thousands with their own money. At the same time they were allowing institutions to gamble in the billions with other people's money."

Even opponents of online gambling have conceded that it will be hard to hold off the public's demand for Internet freedom. Rep. Spencer Bachus acknowledged that Frank and his supporters will be better prepared when the issue comes up for debate in the near future.

Originally, the House Finance Committee was supposed to move forward on the gambling Bill in the summer, but the economic conditions in the US have stalled the process. Frank now believes the issue will be discussed at length in September. source>>>

AffiliateBenchmarks, a research division of outsourced affiliate management agency NETexponent, has released an affiliate marketing survey to be completed by affiliates and website publishers by July 31st 2009. The survey results will gather best practices for several aspects of affiliate marketing, including how best to communicate with affiliates, what advertisers can do to optimize affiliate relationships, what tools and information affiliates crave, and what challenges they face. Results will be analyzed and used to identify marketing trends and projected changes. Affiliates who complete the survey will receive a free copy of the results and others will have the option to buy a copy once released.

We were very proud of last years effort and the industry's response but knew we had room for improvement
This year survey is not only bigger and better but it also has the support of major affiliate networks like Commission Junction, Google Affiliate Network, LinkShare, PepperJam, Shareasale, and Media Trust. Thanks to the support of these major networks we have been able to optimize our study and significantly increase the number of respondents.
AffiliateBenchmarks produced their first study in 2008 and the research report was met with an extremely positive response from the online marketing community. The positive response from last years research report and continued need for industry benchmarks prompted AffiliateBenchmarks to produce the 2009 survey. This year the AffiliateBenchmarks survey has been significantly expanded and improved based on the knowledge and feedback from the industry leaders. The 2009 survey includes a wide range of questions about topics such as affiliates' experiences with different types of ad performance, site visitor demographics, technology and communication preferences, motivations for joining an affiliate program, experiences with emerging technology, and more.

"We were very proud of last years effort and the industry's response but knew we had room for improvement," said Peter Figueredo, CEO & Co-Founder of NETexponent. "This year survey is not only bigger and better but it also has the support of major affiliate networks like Commission Junction, Google Affiliate Network, LinkShare, PepperJam, Shareasale, and Media Trust. Thanks to the support of these major networks we have been able to optimize our study and significantly increase the number of respondents."

If you are an affiliate/publisher and are interested in benchmarking your success by completing this survey, we will send you a copy of the results. Your time and input is greatly appreciated. Be sure to complete the survey before July 31, 2009. Affiliate Benchmarks respects the privacy of affiliates and only aggregate information will be shared.

source>>>

Taleee, the leader in product ratings by consumers across the Web, launches a new service for online merchants and affiliates giving them the ability to add a product's rating as determined from consumers across the Web.

Starting today merchants can now include a product's rating in their product affiliate feeds and stores to help boost sales with Taleee's Merchant Max ™ service.

Merchants and affiliates on Commission Junction, Linkshare, Google Affiliate Network, Amazon Associates and others, can sign up for free at www.taleee.com.

"Affiliates are at the front lines of ecommerce and Taleee's Merchant Max service gives them a great new tool to help boost their sales," said Taleee CEO Steve Harmon. "Taleee's technology makes adding the Top Rated score for a product to any merchant data feed so that affiliates can benefit."

Taleee's Merchant Max ™ service allows merchants to display which of their products are Top Rated by Consumers Across The Web ™, rated 4 to 5 stars Web-Wide. 96% of leading retailers say customer ratings and reviews are effective at driving site conversion, according to Forrester Research. Top rated product pages have converted as much as 50% more versus others according to Jupiter Research.

"Merchant Max is a super cost-efficient way for merchants to maximize their affiliate sales," added Harmon. "The free trial gives them results they can evaluate for performance."

Taleee is offering a 90-day free trial and then only $9.95 per month per website.

Taleee's algorithms and web indexing technologies determine an overall web-wide rating on products and services. Similar to how Google indexes web pages, Taleee measures consumer satisfaction across the Web through news, blogs, ratings, reviews, warranties and support and determines the Top Rated by Consumers Across the Web™ status for any product, a rating of 4 to 5 stars overall.

In addition to consumer direct services, Taleee also offers its Web-Wide ratings to online marketplaces, etailers, retailers, system integrators, resellers, application developers, and others.

For more information on Merchant Max service please go to http://www.taleee.com and sign up.

About Taleee (pronounced 'Tally'): Taleee's mission is to organize and share the opinions of millions of consumers worldwide. Current Taleee partners and network include WebCollage, Dealer Specialties, Microsoft, HP, auto dealers, and more. Started by veterans of the Web industry who backed the company behind Ad Sense which was sold to Google in 2003, Taleee is funded by early team members from eBay, executives from Reuters, the retail and Web industries. More info at http://taleee.com source>>>

Patty Loveless will release another volume of bluegrass-inspired music, Mountain Soul II, on Sept. 29 on Saguaro Road Records. She released the original Mountain Soul in 2001. Guests on the new project include Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Carl Jackson, Del McCoury, Ronnie McCoury, Jon Randall and steel guitarist Al Perkins. Emory Gordy Jr., her husband, is producing the sessions. "It's Appalachian, bluegrass and country combined," Loveless said. "You should never try to duplicate something like Mountain Soul. What you should do is enhance. So this is like a continuation." Last year, Loveless released an album of country covers, Sleepless Nights, on Saguaro Road. source>>>

Carrie Underwood, Rodney Atkins, Darius Rucker and John Rich are among those performing at Fort Campbell, Ky., for two Salute to the Troops concerts for soldiers and families of the 101st Airborne Division. The performances are part of an event billed as Week of the Eagles to celebrate the return of the 101st Airborne's Screaming Eagles from service in the Middle East. Underwood, Rich and Jake Owen will perform on Aug. 14. The Aug. 15 show features Atkins, Rucker and Jypsi. Underwood's performance at Fort Campbell is one of only a few concerts she has scheduled this summer. Her new album will be released later this year. The Salute to the Troops activities are free and open to the public, but all visitors to the military installation will be required to present a valid photo ID and show current registration and proof of insurance for any vehicle admitted. source>>>

What Darryl Worley seems to lack in luck, he continues to make up for in determination. For nearly a decade, the singer-songwriter has bounced from one record label to another, unwavering in his fight for a career in country music -- even funding his newest album, Sounds Like Life.

"I wanted to do the music myself," he recently explained in an interview with CMT.com. "God's been good to me and my family and my career. Even though we've had to jump from one record label to the next, we've always found a way to get back in the thick of it."

Worley first found his musical home at the Nashville division of DreamWorks Records where he charted his first single, "When You Need My Love," in 2000. He continued throughout the years with a string of hits, including No. 1 hits, "I Miss My Friend," "Have You Forgotten?" and "Awful, Beautiful Life."

Things began changing for Worley after DreamWorks' record division was purchased by the Universal Music Group in 2003. UMG merged the label with Mercury and MCA a year later. In 2005, Worley found himself without a deal. Pushing on, he searched for other outlets for his music. In 2006, he signed with Neal McCoy's newly-started label, 903 Records -- but failed to reach the chart-topping success he had hoped.

"When the deal ended at 903, I made up my mind to wipe my slate completely clean," Worley explained. "I changed everything from the ground up -- the record label, producer, everything."

As a result, Worley used his own money to fund his sixth album and latest project, Sounds Like Life, released on Stroudavarious Records. Ironically, James Stroud, the founder of the new label, previously headed DreamWorks Nashville and signed Worley to his first recording contract almost 10 years ago.

"We made some great music together in the past," he said. "It was right. It is right."

Much like Worley's adamant climb, "Sounds Like Life to Me," his current single from the new album, continues to climb Billboard's country chart. Appropriately, the song carries Worley's same unshakable attitude.

"It's absolutely tough love" he said. "Not only that, it's a true story."

The inspiration for the song came from a friend who was facing a low place in his life, questioning eight years of hard-earned sobriety. When Worley got the call from his friend, who had already made his way to the bar, Worley said to him, "'Look, you can act like this is the end of the world, or you can walk out this door with me. If you don't see somebody that's in worse shape than you, I'll pay your house payment for the rest of the year.'"

Fortunately, Worley was able to talk his friend out of the bar and back home to his wife and children. "I'd been there, and everybody I know back where I come from has been there at one time or another," he said. "I wasn't hard on him. I just told him the truth."

"That's just how it is," he went on, "and I've had to do that myself. Everybody has a tendency to get down in the mouth sometimes."

On the album, Worley lightens the mood with several of his new upbeat songs. Having co-written a majority of the tracks, Worley takes his listeners on an up-beat musical journey through his "Honkytonk Life." He addresses the issues of wealth in tongue-in-cheek "Nothing but Money" and encourages listeners to let loose under the influence of his feel-good tunes like "Tequila on Ice" and "Best of Both Worlds."

"That's what people need," he said. "They need to whoop it up for a little while and forget about all the tough times we're going through.

"You have to be willing to stick it out against all odds. That's what American people do. It's like this economy and the hard times we're going through. It'll only last so long. We don't give up. We'll be fine." source>>>

Jennette McCurdy, who stars in the Nickelodeon series, iCarly, has signed a record deal with Capitol Nashville, according to a blog on her MySpace page. "I am honored, ecstatic, elated and overwhelmed with joy! Capitol's expertise in country music will allow me the opportunity to give you guys the best I have to give in songwriting, singing and performing," she wrote. McCurdy turned 17 in June. Capitol Nashville's roster also includes Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker, Keith Urban and Emily West. source>>>

Rosanne Cash has announced the track listing of a new covers album, The List, due for release on Oct. 6 on Manhattan Records. The project was inspired by a list of 100 essential country songs her father, Johnny Cash, gave her in 1973. Selections include "Sea of Heartbreak" (with Bruce Springsteen), "Heartaches by the Number" (with Elvis Costello), "Long Black Veil" (with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy), "Silver Wings" (with Rufus Wainwright) "Miss the Mississippi and You," "Motherless Children," "Take These Chains From My Heart," "I'm Movin' On," "500 Miles," "She's Got You," "Girl From the North Country" and "Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow." It's her first album since undergoing surgery in 2007 after being diagnosed with chiari I malformation, a rare but benign congenital malformation of the skull that affects the brain and spinal cord. She has fully recovered. source>>>